Part of Adobe's newest release, Creative Suite 5, Photoshop CS5 can dramatically improve the imaging workflow for photographers. There are many amazing new technologies built into the software suite, far too much for the cursory overview space allows here, but allow me to illustrate some common photo problems and what CS5 can do to help.
Feature: HDR Pro
Adobe rebuilt most of CS5's new features from the ground up, and there are now two powerful new high dynamic range (HDR) options.
1. "Merge to HDR Pro" allows you to merge a group of images from Adobe Bridge (via Tools >Photoshop) or from Photoshop (via Automate >Merge to HDR Pro) or from Adobe Lightroom 3 (via Edit In >Merge to HDR Pro in Photoshop) as before, but the interface is easier to use and incorporates a host of new presets and slider controls. The new preset (shown) is set to start in 16-bit using the "Local Adaptation" option as the default, thereby allowing new options and easier controls for photorealistic or surrealistic effects. Among the newest features is the "Remove Ghosts" option, allowing selection of a single image in the "Merge to HDR Pro" interface, and the other images that have nonmatching elements such as waves or leaves are automatically masked out.
2. Also from a single image you can select "HDR Toning" from the menu (via Image >Adjustments) in CS5. The "HDR Toning" window gives you the exact same impressive controls and intuitive presets to work with from a single file as the "Merge to HDR Pro" feature, but this option will first flatten your layers automatically. I recommend duplicating your file first.
Hot Tip: The "Merge to HDR Pro" and "HDR Toning" interfaces have seven features worthy of experimentation as you refine your images: 1) Edge Glow controls, 2) Tone and Detail sliders, 3) Color Vibrance/Saturation, 4) Toning Curve and Histogram, 5) a host of presets in HDR Toning, 6) Remove Ghosts feature (available in "Merge to HDR Pro") and 7) the ability to use previous methods for those who have certain HDR workflows in Photoshop.
Feature: Lens Correction
In CS5, Adobe has mastered an anomaly that previously required advanced pixel displacement techniques, and this new feature will put a whole new perspective on your underwater images. Choose the "Lens Correction" tab, and click on the "Enable Lens Profile Corrections" button. If your camera and lens are among the hundreds listed, Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) will automatically choose your lens detail from the metadata and automatically apply a lens correction to the image. The controls include Distortion, Chromatic Aberration and Vignetting. The manual controls are all easy to use and enable superb refinements.
Hot Tip: You can generate your own Lens Profile for the "Lens Correction" option using the Adobe Lens Profile Creator, an application you can download from Adobe Labs
Feature: Noise Reduction
With images created at very high ISO settings (making them more sensitive to light), noise is a traditional challenge, yet both color and tone noise control is amazing in CS5. Select the "Detail" tab, then the "Luminance" and
"Color" sliders will allow you to control the noise in the image — but wait! Notice the exclamation point at the bottom of the screen shot. This indicates that the original image has been previously or originally processed in a prior camera calibration version. Simply click on the exclamation point to automatically update to the 2010 process, allowing optimal performance.
Feature: Content-Aware Fill
This is the sexy new mega-feature in CS5. Simply select a portion of your image that you'd like to remove, then from the "Edit" menu select the "Fill" command. In the contents choose "Content-Aware." Click OK, and in a few moments you'll see an advanced masking made easy, as Photoshop will analyze the selection and surrounding areas and typically be able to fill in an amazing result. With that being said, when using this feature you can create a mask of any area you don't want included in the final result, such as the coral reef in the example shown. This feature is a major time saver.
These are just a few of the high-tech improvements built into Adobe's Photoshop CS5. While the program is still useful for all the tasks it did before, with each new iteration the software becomes more powerful and more indispensable to photographers!
